Railfans on 1939 camera excursion, 2009
Thurston’s story
145 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1881Thurston is settled
ThurstonOH
A town of 616, settled in 1881.
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
616
2025 Census estimate · +1.5% since 2020
Median home value
$158K
Census ACS
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
33.5
years
Jobs based here
60
A commuter town
Is Thurston a good place to live?
Among 994 Ohio towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Thurston. Thurston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
616 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Thurston: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Thurston, and how to reach them.
PowerAEP Ohio19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterThurston Village PWSNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Thurston’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Ohio you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDirector, Fairfield County Board of ElectionsFairfield County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2026
ZIP codes43157, 4310543157 98% · 43105 2%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Thurston.
Work & commute
Fewer of Thurston’s working residents work locally than in the typical Ohio or U.S. town
0.4% of working residents work locally in Thurston, below both Ohio’s towns (6.9%) and U.S. towns (8%). Thurston’s average trip to work is 31 minutes. The top destinations are Columbus (22%), Lancaster (13%) and Newark (3%).
0%work in town
| Thurston | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.4% | 6.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Thurston0%
Columbus22%
Lancaster13%
Newark3%
Walnut Township3%
20 mi
median commute distance
60
jobs based in Thurston
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Thurston
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
22risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingDroughtTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Thurston, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Thurston has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 21° and about 17 inches of snow falls in a winter.
17″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–40°
Spring40–63°
Summer61–83°
Fall43–65°
Oct 13
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Thurston is
Thurston beats the Ohio average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 28% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Thurston, above both the Ohio town median (26%) and the median of U.S. towns (23%). 40% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Thurston.
| Thurston | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
4 better27 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Thurston | OH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 10.7% | 13.2% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 3% | 3.7% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 74.8% | 79.2% |
Fairfield Medical Center
8.7 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
$210Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 40 attractions →Ohio Stadium and 31 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Thurston. Close and well known come first.
Big draw27 mi Stadium & arenaOhio Stadium
26 mi Stadium & arenaHistoric Crew Stadium
26 mi Stadium & arenaScottsMiracle-Gro Field
28 mi Stadium & arenaValue City Arena
37 mi Zoo & aquariumColumbus Zoo and Aquarium
28 mi State parkHocking Hills State ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Ohio Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Historic Crew Stadium: Rick Dikeman, CC BY-SA 3.0 · ScottsMiracle-Gro Field: Nova Crystallis, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Value City Arena: Nick81aku at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Columbus Zoo and Aquarium: Adolphus79 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Hocking Hills State Park: Ramseybuckeye, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Thurston
16pages on Thurston
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Thurston
About 1 of every 100 Thurston residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Thurston for work
Where Thurston’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
60jobs based in Thurston
0%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Thurston
Village in Ohio, United States
Thurston is a village in Fairfield County, Ohio, United States. The population was 603 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 883 ft
- ZIP code
- 43157
Questions about Thurston
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Thurston, OH a good place to live?
Thurston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.